Trustees



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,447,001 f F. l WINCHELL.

.sHANK REENFORCE Filed Feb.. 11, 1920 6l. ai@ ai@ CJI Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

Unire estaras PATENT OFFICE.

FREEMAN Jj Wiivci'iniii., or Lriiii, rresiiacnusnrrs, essieivoa' fro sAIDrREEMAN J. WiivcHnLL, or Nani-iur, iiirassacriussr'rs, Joriii L. sHnvEivnL-L, or HAvERH-ILL,

MASSACHUSETTS, ,eine transmises.

HELMARFG. JOSEPHSON, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS,

sHANK iannivroncn.

rApplication iiledlebruary l1, 1920. SerialNo. 357,995.

To all whom it muy @Office-rit Be it known that l, lliinnmaiv il. lViN- einem, a cii'tiif/ienot` the Illnited yStates, and resident of Lynn, county oiifldlsser.; Common Wealth of Massachusetts,have. inventedan Improveinentin Shank Reen'torces, of Which thezolloWing description7 in connection with the/accompanying drawings, isa speciiicaf.

tion,llike characters on the drawingsrepresenting like lparts in each of the .several views. i

This invention relatesy to metallic `reentorcing members `for stiffening `thefinter` mediate or instep part o'liv a shoesoleiand" commonly rknown in the art: as shank-stili# eners. More particularly :the `invention -re-` lates to a ty'peof shank-stii'fener composed of a formed strip or plate of metal equipped with prongs adapted to be pressed into the material of the sole to secure the same thereto. One principal object of the invention is to provide a shank stiilieiier that is relatively very strong though of relatively small dimension and oi an outline and cross section such that a maximum degree of stiiness is attained and at the same time the metal is so 'formed that it does not cut into, or form ridges in, the leather or other material of the soles when it is pressed thereonto. A further object istoprovide a shank-stiffener presenting a smooth end that Will not project up into the sole in an objectionable inanner. A still further object is to provide an improved shank-stitlener. that is equipped with fastening lmeans arranged in a novel n manner and so that the end oiF the stiiiener is not apt to be pried out by the flexing ol e the sole, either in the course oit the manutac ture of the shoe or in the use thereof. The i foregoing'and other objects and advantages of the invention Will more fully appear from the following detailed description, and the distinctive vfeatures of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims. n y

Referring to the drawings: j

Fig. l is a planvievv of a shoe sole having the shank stiilener of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side or edge vieiv'thereoii; l

Fig. 3is a plan view of the stiienernieniber on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is anedge or side view thereof:l gV and,

invention which is shoWnapplied to a shoe sole S to. reinforce the shank `or instep. portion thereof. This shanlr-piece is curved longitudinally as usual to conform to the instep `curve of" the sole` and as best .shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The nnajor in'- termediate portion of the stifl'ener' is also curved or arched transversely as indicated at l()a intermediate thewidththereof to increase the stiffening quality of the inem'- yber as Will be understood, this intermediate transverse arch ybeing.4 preferably relatively deep, as shown. vThis arching ofthe piece transversely would `tend `to make the. edges thereof press and srinlr into the leather of the sole so as to cut the saine more or less and make ridges therein, but in accordance with my invention this defect is obviated by turning the sides of such arch outwardly and, as illustratively shown, producing small reverse grooves l0" adjacent the sides of the piece. This results in presenting a smooth rounded seating and facing portion of the shank-piece at each side thereof to be pressed against the sole affording a irm, reliable seat vand eliminating the llikelihood of injury to the sole` it being understood in this connection that the shanlr-stiliener members are in practice pressed into assembled relation with the sole under considerable pressure which results in a close application of the shaiik-stiiiener to the sole and in the embedding and upsetting of the securing prongs therein. ln accordance Withwmy invention the shank-stilfener is .formed at its `rear end with securing prongs l1, these being shown as turned-in at. each corner lfrom the end or' the shank-piece. lThis insures that the very extremity of the shank-.piece at the *rear end thereof will be held down close and a neck portion 13 of reduced `cross section and therefore capable of iiexing somewhat ,more readily opposite these prongs, and it is to be noted that the prongs themselves are struck 'from the head or extremity i4, i. e.

vov

the stiiener-piece is secured at the end by these prongs beyond, and through, the neck portion 13. This results in permitting the extremity or end head portion l-il of the stilener to be closely secured to the sole bythe prongs l2 and in a manner so that it not apt to be pried out on the flexing ol the sole since this flexing will be taken up by the neck portion 13 which being sonie-` what reduced in cross section and not arched is readily adaptable :tor this purpose. A further advantage of having the prongs l2 struck from the sides of the piece as shown is that it saves stock to a substantial degree. l ani aware that the invention nia-y be einbodied in' other specific forins without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and l therefore desire the present einbodiinent to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described niy invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A shoe shank comprising a strip of struck up metal curved longitudinally and provided with a depression extending` lengthwise thereof, and terminating short of the ends, a rel atively narrow flange on each side of the de: pression and a pair of clinching teeth in each end portion of the shank.

2. A shoe shank comprising a relatively narrow strip of struck-up metal curved longitudinally and provided with a relatively deep intermedia-te transverse arch extending` lengthwise thereof, but terminating short of one of the ends, a flat portion at an end of the arch having a pair of clinching teeth extending there'lfroin adapted to be driven into the leather, the sides of the said arch being relatively turned outwardly to provide a substantial area of contact with the leather' backing.

3. A shoe shank comprising a narrow strip of inetal, struck up into shape to give rigidity and a slight springy effect, a concave depression extending lengthwise thereof, but terminating short ot the ends, the sides of the said depression 'flaring outwardly to provide flat, relatively narrow flanges, the thin edge of the metal being on the outer side of the flanges, flat portions at the ends of the depression and a pair of clinching teeth in each end portion ofv the shank and in line with the said flanges.

In testimony whereof` Iliave signed rny name to this specification.

FREEMAN J. VVNGHELL. 

